


Path of Heroes

by SwordSlinger77



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2020-05-20 09:25:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19373884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SwordSlinger77/pseuds/SwordSlinger77
Summary: The curse of Demise reaches a climax.  Time and Space themselves fall at risk.  The three Golden Goddesses, sworn not to interfere with the world they created, entrust it’s fate to the Spirit of the Hero.  Only this time, just one incarnation of it won’t be enough.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by @jojo56830 on Tumblr, and their AU blog @linkeduniverse. 
> 
> Story should update once a week, unless I get extra writing time, in which case you might get two chapters a week.

Somewhere between nowhere and everywhere, deep within the dark void to which it had been banished so many times, the spirit of the King of Evil grew restless. 

 

 _How_ _long?_

 

How long had it been sealed in here? Biding it’s time. Building it’s strength. Waiting for the opportune moment to rise again. Time was a fickle thing in this place. Sometimes it trickled past like a small stream.Other times, it rushed by with the energy of a raging river.Millennia passed.Eons came and went. And still, the evil spirit waited. 

 

Gradually it’s mind reforged itself, and it‘s will to dominate reasserted itself.It was consumed with the urge to break free.To escape.To conquer.To avenge itself upon the land. 

 

But no.It remembered the past.It remembered a history of failure.The Princess.The Hero.The Sword.So long ago, but still so fresh in memory.To be so close to victory, so many times, and yet to fail.

 

 _No_.It would not happen again.

 

This time, it would be patient. This time, it would emerge stronger.It would endure this prison for a while longer.The darkness would boil and fester unseen here in the void, until it’s growing power was enough to obliterate the realm entirely. Then, finally, it would emerge and take its recompense from the world. It’s footsteps would topple mountains. It’s roar would level towns and forests.It’s rage would consume all.

 

For now, there was nothing but the wait.But what were a few more millennia, when the final victory was all but assured?Ultimate revenge would taste all the sweeter for its long delay. 

 

* * *

 

“It is time.”

 

The voice, feminine in nature, but firm and commanding in tone, resounded sharply through the heavenly realm. 

 

“We are here.”

 

Two more voices answered in unison, and the power of these speakers was felt, rather than heard.

 

Even if mortal eyes could have beheld the sight, there would not be any words to describe the nature of current events.Some things are simply beyond mortal comprehension, and a council of the three Golden Goddesses would be chiefest among those. 

 

Din, resplendent in a robe of burning crimson, with long tresses of glowing amber flowing down her shoulders, spoke first. Her speech commanded attention, and voice radiated power with every word. 

 

“We have long known this day would come. If left unchecked, the remnant of Demise’s curse will grow in strength until it shreds the very fabric of reality itself. He is no longer content with ruling the world we created.He wants to utterly destroy it.”

 

Nayru stepped forward to speak next. Her dress was smooth and blue as the wide open ocean, her flowing hair was like sapphire, and she worse earrings and bracelets adorned with pearls.She was as beautiful as she was wise, and though her words were not as sharp as Din’s, they were no less powerful.

 

“You know as well as I do, Sister.We swore an oath not to interfere in the worlds of our creation.We cannot step in to eliminate this evil.Not directly.”

 

The final sister stepped forward now, clad in a verdant green, with curls of emerald hair sweeping down her back. Farore, creator and defender of life, spoke with a passion that bore no hesitance.

 

“We may not be able to interfere directly, but we are not without recourse. Time and time again this evil has risen, and time and time again Hylia’s chosen has defeated it.The same must happen here.”

 

“This evil is far beyond even his skill and courage,” Din replied. “And Hylia’s blood runs very thin through the veins of Hyrule’s royalty now.”

 

“Surely there must be something we can do to aid him?” Farore interceded for her champion, “To strengthen him for the coming conflict?”

 

“There is much we can do,” Nayru spoke again.“Though, as I said, we cannot interfere directly, we can act as influencers.We created a world of balance, and harmony.As evil gains strength, the balance is shifted, and the hero’s rise in each generation has been in response to this.The result of our world, our grand equation trying to balance itself.”

 

“What are you proposing, Sister?”

 

“As this evil gains its strength, space time will begin to fluctuate.Timelines will converge, individual worlds will shift and merge. If we simply influence these convergences - to make sure they happen in the right places - we could gather some of the most powerful and experienced incarnations of the Hero together.”

 

“Multiple heroes?” Din murmured, mulling the idea over.“Do you really think that would be enough?”

 

Farore broke into a wry grin.“Have you forgotten how much even one of them is capable of, dear Sister?Hylia made no mistake in choosing her knight, and I have made no mistake in claiming him as the champion of courage.  Look back across the ages. Not Ganon, nor the demon Majora, nor the sorceress Veran, nor the power-hungry Yuga, nor the wind mage Vaati, were able to stand against him.”

 

A prolonged silence followed.After all, what was there to be said against such a clear list of achievements?

 

“Very well.” Din finally assented. “If we are to proceed, then let us not waste time. The different incarnations will need to learn how to work and fight together. And they will need to grow their strength beyond anything they have heretofore achieved.”

 

“They will be up to the task,” Farore asserted with confidence.

 

“And there is more than a little we can do on their behalf, without getting directly involved,” promised Nayru.

 

“If we are all in agreement then,” pronounced Din, nodding at each of her sisters in turn, “Let’s get to work.”


	2. The Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meant to post this earlier today, but oh well. Hope you all enjoy. 
> 
> Make sure to go check out @linkeduniverse on tumblr.

* * *

  **Chapter** **I —** **The** **Storm**

* * *

 

Link awoke to the sound of crashing thunder.

 

Sitting up with a gasp, he reflexively reached for the jeweled sword strapped to his back, as he glanced around with wide eyes. 

 

_Grass_. _Trees_. _**Rain**_. He was soaked to the bone, and sitting on soggy ground in the middle of a dark forest. But _why_?

 

The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in a lavish guest bedroom within Hyrule Castle, bestowed upon him by the insistence of the newly awakened Princess Zelda.

 

How in the name of the goddess did he end up here?

 

He stood quickly, his ruby-inlaid sword gleaming in his left hand, even in the darkness.It’s glittering opulence contrasted with his humble green travelers tunic, but right now there was nobody around to comment on the matter. 

 

Shaking his head to focus his thoughts, Link took stock of the situation. He was in an unknown location, in the dead of night, in the middle of a furious thunderstorm, with no memory of how he got into this situation in the first place. That was the long and the short of things. 

 

As for his options, they didn’t seem to be too good. Staying put was a terrible idea - he was already feeling far too cold. But finding any shelter better than a large tree would be difficult in this downpour, and he didn’t particularly care to sit under a tree during a thunderstorm. He could call out for help, but the odds of anybody else being out in this mess were slim to none. Besides, it was anybody’s guess what dangers might lurk in the woods, and be alerted if he raised his voice.

 

His last option then, was to pick a direction and walk. Hopefully he could find some sort of shelter quickly, or this would not be a pleasant night. A modified fire spell would be enough to keep himself warm for a while, but he could only use magic for so long before tiring. He needed to get out of this rain.

 

Unfortunately, the storm only increased its intensity as Link began to walk. Lightning split the skies above, as the ground turned to mud beneath his feet. He shivered violently under the assault of the elements, his vision obscured by the cascades of water all around him.

 

_Rsmetas_...

 

Link halted, whirling about as an unfamiliar voice suddenly reached his ears. But he saw nobody. Focusing his senses, he listened again.

 

_Hsiw_ _ayt_ _rsmetas_...

 

The voice came clearer now, from his left.He turned, but saw no sign of the voice’s owner.Who was speaking? And how was he hearing anything through this storm?Lightning flashed again, striking a tree somewhere behind him, and the thunder which followed it nearly deafened him. But still, he could hear the voice. 

 

_Hsiw_ _ayt_...

 

Gripping the hilt of his sword in shivering hands, Link followed the voice, stumbling through themud and underbrush. The voice sounded again and again, seemingly leading him onward, though he could not understand it’s words. As he continued to listen to the voice, which he thought was distinctly feminine in nature, he realized that it wasn’t coming from anywhere around him. Instead, it was speaking directly to his mind, calling him ever closer.A multitude of thoughts and suspicious ran through his head, but for the moment, Link could only care about finding shelter and warmth. He could feel the ground beneath him beginning to slope upward. Perhaps there was a hill or mountain ahead, and a cave in which he could shelter?

 

So focused was he on the mysterious voice, and the potential of shelter ahead, that he didn’t hear the approach of another being behind him. Suddenly, a hand was laid on his shoulder.Link spun around with a cry of surprise, his silvery blade pointed at the neck of whoever or whatever had managed to sneak up on him. The stranger, a cloaked and hooded man slightly taller than Link himself, raised his hands as he stepped back with surprising quickness.

 

“Sorry!” The unfamiliar man spoke, his hands still raised. “I shouldn’t have snuck up on you but, well...You didn’t answer when I called out to you.”

 

Link took a deep breath, lowering his sword with a trembling hand, and chastising himself for not being more aware of his surroundings. The stranger lowered his hood, revealing a young man with long blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He studied Link for a brief moment, before removing his cloak and offering it to Link with a small grin.

 

“You look pretty chilly.”

 

“T-thanks...” Link muttered in reply, shrugging the cloak over his shoulders.It didn’t offer much for warmth, but it was a welcome protection against the wind and rain. “Are you sure you don’t need this for yourself?” He couldn’t help but ask.

 

The other man chuckled, producing a silver circlet with a ruby centerpiece from somewhere on his person. “I’ll be fine.” He promised, as he set the jewelry on his brow. “I’ve suffered through storms much worse than this one.”

 

Link raised a brow at the man, looking him over again. He was lean but thin, and wore a light blue tunic over a black shirt and light ringmail, with leather gauntlets and armor strapped around his waist and shoulder, and a strange looking slab of stone hanging from a loop on his belt. His bearing was friendly, but there was something guarded and dangerous in the icy blue of his eyes. 

 

“Well, thank you.” Link said at last. “I don’t know how much longer—”

 

_Rsmetas_...

 

Link paused as the mysterious voice spoke again, turning his head in the direction it came from. His eyes widened as he noticed the stranger do the same. 

 

“You can hear it too?”

 

The other man’s eyes widened. “How are you able to hear it? I thought...” He shut his mouth abruptly, gazing at Link with a furrowed brow as the rain continued to pour down on them.

 

_Hsiw_ _ayt_...

 

Link shook his head.“Never mind. I’m gonna go find out what it is.” 

 

The stranger said nothing in response, but followed close behind as Link ran in the direction of the voice.The ground began to slope more steeply, and soon it became apparent they had reached the base of a large mountain. Neither of them broke pace however, intent as they were on reaching their unknown destination. They continued uphill through the raging storm, as the terrain shifted and became more rocky.

 

_Ihmaere_ , _rsmetas_...

 

The voice sounded clearer than ever now, and Link cried out triumphantly as he saw the mouth of a cave gaping wide up ahead.He scrambled the rest of the way up the wet, rocky hillside, until he stood in the cave’s mouth. His companion followed half a second later, both of them breathing heavily.

 

Inside, they were greeted by the flickering glow of a small fire, being tended by a young man with dirty blond hair, wearing a white cloak and sitting on a small rock. He glanced up with gentle blue eyes as they entered, offering them a warm smile and beckoning them towards the fire.

 

Link didn’t need much convincing. The strange voice forgotten in the presence of real _warmth_ , he all but ran towards the fire, sitting down as close to it as he dared and holding his shivering hands out over the pleasant and relieving heat. The young man in blue sat down next to him a moment lAyer, letting out a soft sigh.

 

“I take it you two have had it rough with the weather out there.”The man in white chuckled.

 

“It wasn’t too bad,” The man in blue shrugged, rubbing his neck. Link wondered just what he  _would_ think of as bad, if not what they had just run through.

 

A shout from the cave entrance disrupted the thought, as two boys stumbled into the cave, soaked through and shivering.One looked surprisingly young, with wide eyes and a mop of unruly blond hair, wearing a simple blue tunic with a white lobster design on its front. The other was slightly older, but still likely in his early teen years, given his youthful face and short stature. His tunic was far more ornate, divided into quadrants of blue, green, red, and violet, patched together and decorated with an ornately woven gold thread. Both boys wore swords strapped to their backs, along with their travelers packs, and the elder of the two wore a green hood over his head, though it did little to hide the relief on his face at finding shelter.

 

“Finally!” The younger boy shouted, hurrying toward the fire with all the energy borne of his youth. “I thought we’d be wandering through that squall all night!”

 

The man in white smiled at the boy, as his older companion sat down nearby and removed his hood, revealing straight locks of blond hair and a red-tipped feather hanging from his left ear. He glanced at each person around him, before nodding in a silent greeting and holding his palms out to the fire.

 

“We may need to build a bigger fire...” The man in white hummed thoughtfully, poking the embers with a stick.

 

His point was proven a minute later, when two more figures ran into the cave, cursing the weather outside. The first one was a young man about Link’s height, wearing an ornate red vest over a green tunic, and intricately designed boots with silvery wings sprouting from their tops. His dirty blond hair turned into a light pink where it hung down below his ears, and he wore a floppy blue cap that hung down behind his back. His eyes widened as he took in the five boys already gathered around the fire, and he muttered something under his breath as he sat down several feet away from the others.

 

The second figure was taller, wearing a green tunic above a full set of chainmail, with plated armor on his left shoulder and a royal blue scarf hanging down from his neck. His bearing was proud and noble, and on his back hung a sturdy looking shield, along with a large broadsword. He was definitely a warrior, and a strong one by the looks of it. He ran a hand through his wet hair with a sigh, before turning a questioning glance at the group in front of him.

 

Link stated right back at the newcomer - or rather, at his head - and wondered just how many blond haired and blue eyed young men carrying swords could fit in one cave.Something felt distinctly odd about it.

 

He turned toward his companion through the storm, the young man in blue, catching his eye for a brief moment.He could see the other man was suspicious as well.His expression was flat and guarded, and his eyes darted quickly around the cave. He had heard the voice earlier, hadn’t he? Had the other strangers heard it as well? Or had pure chance and stormy weather brought them all together like this?

 

Link wasn’t about to give chance that much credit. 

 

His suspicion only increased when another man stumbled into the cave. He was tall, about the same height as the warrior, wearing a dark green tunic and a black wolf pelt as a hood. A plain looking sword and simple wooden shield hung from his back, but Link could see a fine set of mail gleaming from beneath his tunic. The man’s bearing was firm, and his expression guarded. He glanced at the seven figures gathered around the fire, and frowned. Keeping silent, he took a seat near the cave entrance, removing his hood to reveal more dirty blond hair and blue eyes.

 

Link narrowed his eyes, turning to the man in white, who sat on his rock and poked at the fire like nothing here was out of the ordinary. He was about to open his mouth and ask what in Hylia’s name was going on, when a commanding voice resounded from the mouth of the cave.

 

“You!”

 

Link snapped his gaze back to the cave’s entrance, but could only see the silhouette of the newest arrival.He was taller than any of the others, and wearing a full suit of armor and chainmail, which gleamed even in the low light of the cave’s mouth. One gauntlet-clad hand was raised, pointing an accusatory finger at the man in white, who looked at the new arrival with the same gentle smile he had greeted the others with. 

 

The figure stepped forward, coming into the light and revealing his face. He was young, but still definitely older than anybody else in the cave. His blond hair was parted in the middle, and fell to just above his chin-level. One of his eyes was clear and blue, while the other was pale and white, blinded by a long scar that ran up the right side of his face. Red markings were tattooed just underneath his blinded eye, and the tip of a sword was outlined in blue on his forehead. His armor was of silver, with gauntlets and shoulder-pads of gold-plated leather. In his left hand he gripped a massive double-edged broadsword, and with his right he pointed accusingly at the man in white. 

 

“Show me your sword.”

 

The command - for that is what it was - brooked no argument. The newcomer’s tone was authoritative and demanding, and it carried with it a promise to back up his words with actions if necessary.

 

The man in white grinned sheepishly in response, and pulled a cloth-wrapped bundle from beneath his cloak. Reverently unwrapping it, as if were his own child, he pulled it free and held it up for all in the cave to see clearly.  It was a double-edged blade of the finest caliber, with a winged cross-guard and hilt of deep indigo, and a magnificent yellow gem embedded just below the blade.

 

As Link watched, the beautiful blade seemed to flash with a holy light, and he heard the mysterious voice once more, like the soft sound of a flute playing in his mind.

 

Only this time, he understood it’s words. 

 

“ _Greetings_ , _Master_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anybody asks, no the whole story will not be from classic Link’s POV. Just a choice I made to simplify the first chapter, and for nostalgia’s sake. 
> 
> In order to keep things simple, I’m portraying characters similar to how @linkeduniverse does. For example, I’m merging the hero of Legend with the hero from a Link Between Worlds, since that game is a spiritual successor to Link to the Past anyway, and adding another character with few defining traits would just make things more confusing. Hero of the Minish is combined with Hero of the Four Sword for roughly the same reason. And I’m pretty much not even counting the Hero of Trains. (No offense to fans of Spirit Tracks)
> 
> Anyway, just leave any questions/feedback in the comments, and I’ll do my best to answer. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next Wednesday for the next update.


	3. Nine Companions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another late night update. Oh well. 
> 
> As usual, go check out @linkeduniverse, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Chapter II — Nine Companions

* * *

 

For what felt like an eternity, no words were uttered. Not a sound was to be heard in the cave, save for the crackling of the fire and the steady downpour of rain that echoed in from outside.Eight pairs of eyes were all locked on the magnificent blade that was held aloft by the man in white, as time itself seemed to stop. 

 

Link had never seen this sword before, and yet...something about it was familiar to him. Something that called out to his very soul.The sword had _spoken_ to him.All through the storm outside, from nearly the first moment he had awoken, the sword had called out to him and sought to lead him to shelter.

 

And apparently he wasn’t the only one to be afflicted with such a feeling, for around him all the others were staring at the blade with wide eyes, and mouths hanging open. The armored man who had demanded to see the sword seemed particularly affected, his scarred face pale as a sheet and his outstretched hand trembling as he finally found his voice.

 

“How... how did you come to possess that blade?” He whispered in a haunted voice, his broadsword hanging limply from his left hand.

 

His words seemed to shake the other occupants of the cave from their stupor, and suddenly the rock walls resounded with a cacophony of questions and exclamations.

 

“What the hell?”

 

“Where did you get that?”

 

“How did you find it?”

 

“What is going on here?”

 

“The blade accepts you as it’s Master?”

 

“I left that sword at the bottom of the ocean!”

 

A brief silence followed that last remark, and eight heads turned as one to the boy in the lobster shirt, who flushed under their intense stares.

 

“There was good reason for that!” He defended himself.

 

Further questioning was interrupted as the man in white stood up, drawing their attention back to him and his blade, as he addressed the one-eyed man:

 

“The answer to your question my friend, is a rather long one. I would be happy to tell it, but why don’t we sheathe our swords first, and introduce ourselves? There is no ill will in this cave tonight, I assure you.”

 

The armored man sighed, sliding his massive broadsword into a wide sheath on the back of his armor. 

 

“I apologize for the rude entrance. I have a lot of questions that need answering and I’m not really known for my patience,” he explained as he offered his hand to the man in white, shaking it firmly. “My name is Link.”

 

The man in white’s mouth dropped open, and the rest of the cave’s occupants were on their feet in an instant.

 

“Now wait just a minute!”

 

“That’s my name!”

 

“No, it’s mine!”

 

“What’s going on here?”

 

“I swear, if this is the goddess’ idea of a joke...”

 

**“Enough!”**  The one-eyed man’s voice silenced the uproar, as he gazed around irately. “I said I wanted answers, and I assume you all want the same. But none of us will get any if all we do is yell like madmen!”

 

There was a general murmur of agreement, and the man nodded with satisfaction. 

 

“Now,” he continued, “of the nine of us in this cave, is there anybody _not_ named Link?”

 

Silence. 

 

“Well then, let me ask another question. How did you all get here tonight?”

 

There was another silence, and Link shook his head, deciding to speak up first.“I woke up in the forest,” he began, “out in the pouring rain, with no memory of how I got here. I started walking, eventually bumped into this guy,” he jerked a finger at the Link in blue next to him, “and we managed to find our way to shelter here.”

 

One-eyed Link nodded. “Then you’ve had the much the same experience tonight as I did.” He turned and raised an eyebrow at the others. “Does anybody in this cave know where we are, or how we got here tonight?”

 

The man in white raised his hand. “I know where we are,” he assured. “And while I don’t know _how_ you got here, I do know how you managed to find this little cave through that storm.”

 

“As for where we are - we are at the northern border of the Faron woods, at the foothills of the Eldin mountain range.”

 

“Those were not the Faron woods.” The Link with a wolf pelt around his shoulders spoke up.

 

“I can assure you they are.” The Link in white replied.“I’ve been traveling through them all week, before I started out for Eldin.”

 

“Wait a minute...” The Link in blue interrupted. “Faron doesn’t border Eldin. Faron is south of both Necluda and the Lanayru wetlands. Your geography is all wrong.”

 

“No, his Hyrule is.”

 

They all turned to stare at one-eyed Link.

 

“That’s where we’re all from, isn’t it? Hyrule.” He glanced at the young men and boys around him.“I’m willing to bet we’re all pretty familiar with it’s geography.We’re all cut from the same cloth. Warriors... Travelers... Adventurers...  _Heroes_. I’m sure you’ve all been called that, at least once.”

 

Nobody spoke up to disagree. 

 

“We all know Hyrule, but the land changes over time.What once was no longer is, and what is now will not remain forever. The flow of time is cruel to all, and I know from experience what it feels like to be out of place within it.”

 

“What are you saying then?” Questioned the Link with a red vest and blue cap. “Are you seriously suggesting we’ve all been pulled through time?”

 

“I am.”

 

“That’s ridiculous.”

 

“Is it now?” He turned to the man in white, pointing to his sword again. “If you would be so kind as to answer my question from before, _Link_. How did you come to possess that blade?”

 

The Link in question held the blade up reverently, admiring it up close as he answered.

 

“To put it as simply, I wield the Master Sword because she belongs to me. She was borne from the Goddess Sword which lay at rest in Skyloft, until I drew it from its pedestal. That blade was tempered by my own hand in the sacred flames of the holy trio, Din, Nayru, and Farore, until she finally tok on the form you see now. It is my destiny to bear her, and she is bound to me by ties that run deeper than blood. Just as she is bound to all of you.”

 

”Bound to us?” Questioned the Link in the blue cap.

 

“Indeed,” the sword-wielder replied. “She’s the reason you’re not still out in that storm, you know. Unlike the rest of you, I was not dropped into this forest without an explanation. I traveled here of my own free will. There is darkness afoot in this land, and I have been seeking it out. I had just settled down in this cave for the night, when she began to call out to you.” He smiled down at the blade, which seemed to glow softly in his hand. “That’s how you all found this cave through the storm. Each of you heard her voice, even if you did not recognize it as such. She recognizes the souls of her Master, and you respond to her call, even though you have never met.”

 

“So then, you’re saying we are each incarnations of the same spirit, forever bound to the sword and to this life of toil and sacrifice?” The Link in the wolf pelt questioned.

 

“Those who share the blood of the goddess and the spirit of the hero,” the man in white explained, “they are eternally bound to this curse.”

 

“Well that’s pleasant.”

 

“That’s why we’re all here, isn’t it?” The Link in blue spoke up. “The cycle happens again and again and again, doesn’t it?”

 

He closed his eyes for a moment, then began to recite:

 

_“The_ _kingdom_ _of_ _Hyrule_ _is_ _a_ _vast_ _and_ _storied_ _land,_  
_Oft_ _grasped_ _in_ _the_ _palm_ _of_ _a_ _villainous_ _hand_.

 

_A_ _dark_ _force_ _of_ _destruction,_ _many_ _times_ _undone,_  
_Rises_ _once_ _again -_ _Ganon_ , _the_ _calamitous_ _one_.

 

_But_ _hope_ _survives_ _in_ _Hyrule_ , _for_ _all_ _is_ _not_ _lost_ ,  
_Two_ _brave_ _souls_ _protect_ _it_ , _no_ _matter_ _the_ _cost_.

 

_A_ _goddess_ - _blood_ _princess_ _and_ _a_ _fearless_ _knight_ ,  
_They_ _appear_ _in_ _each_ _age_ _to_ _fight_ _the_ _good_ _fight_.

 

_Their_ _battle_ _with_ _Ganon_ _I've_ _committed_ _to_ _song_ ,  
_To_ _keep_ _it_ _through_ _time_ , _no_ _matter_ _how_ _long_.”

 

“The only thing is, if there are nine of us here, things must be pretty bad out there...”

 

There was a long silence, as each of them slowly came to the same conclusion.

 

Destiny, it seemed, was not quite through with any of them. 

 

“Dammit,” the Link in the blue cap groaned. “I promised myself I’d never get drawn into another one of thing things...”

 

“So did I,” muttered one-eyed Link, staring ahead blankly.

 

The oppressive silence continued on for a long moment, as they each thought about the unknowns ahead of them.

 

The one-eyed Link and the blue-capped Link looked weary, far too weary for their ages.The man in white looked deeply troubled, and the Link wearing a wolf pelt just looked annoyed.The others wore expressions anywhere between confused and frustrated. 

 

As for Link himself?Well, it just seemed to him that his luck hadn’t improved much. He’d finally outwitted Ganon’s forces, preventing his resurrection and breaking the spell on Princess Zelda, and just when it seemed like things might be going well, here was another fateful quest to go on. 

 

_It_ _figures_.

 

Eventually though, Link decided that enough was enough.He might not be happy about all this, but he still wasn’t going to sit here and mope all night. 

 

“If we’re all really stuck together, with an entire quest ahead of us,” he asked, “do you think we could manage some nicknames? It’s pretry confusing already.”

 

Several chuckles and a few scoffs followed his query, and the dreary silence was effectively broken.

 

The man in white chuckled. “That’s probably not a bad idea.” He hummed in thought for a brief moment, before grinning. “Just call me Sky, since that’s where I’m from.”

 

“You’re from the _sky_?” The boy in the lobster shirt questioned, eyes wide.

 

The man in white - Sky - Link corrected himself, just grinned.“From _Skyloft_ technically, but there’s not much of a difference. Now what’s your nickname?”

 

“Wind!” The boy replied quickly, “because that’s my title, Hero of Winds!”

 

“Then my name is Legend,” chuckled the Link with the red tunic and blue cap.

 

“Seriously?” Scoffed another Link - the one with armor plates on his shoulder and a blue scarf around his neck. “Ego much?”

 

“It ain’t ego if it’s true.” Legend shot back. “What’s your name, if you’re so picky?”

 

“Well, my official title was ‘Hero of Warriors, Captain of the Royal Guard, and Commander of the United Armies of Hyrule’...”

 

“And you complained about mine!” Legend shouted, rolling his eyes before decreeing, “Your name is Warrior.”

 

“Hey, wait a minute, that’s not—”

 

“Next!”

 

Eyes turned to the Link in blue.He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, taking a moment to think.

 

“Call me Wild.” He said at length. 

 

“Wild it is then,” Sky acknowledged, before turning to the one-eyed Link.

 

“What about you?”

 

“Time,” he replied simply, and his expression was such that there were no questions asked about the name. 

 

The Link wearing the ornate quad-colored tunic spoke up next, announcing that he would simply be called “Four.”

 

When questioned as to why he would choose such an odd name, he replied only, “I like that number.”

 

The Link wearing a wolf pelt stared at Time for a long moment, brow furrowed, before giving his nickname:

 

“Twilight.”

 

Finally, it was Link’s turn.

 

“I only really have one title,” he began, “I’m just a traveler, really... But after I saved her, the Princess called me ‘Hero of Hyrule’. So seeing as that one isn’t taken yet - just call me Hyrule.”

 

...

 

“Well,” muttered Legend, “it’s not very original, but we’ll take it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Questions? Reviews? Comments? I welcome it all! 
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next week for the next update.


	4. Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is a day late, but things happen. Next chapter should go up on Wednesday again. 
> 
> As always, I own nothing. Go check out @LinkedUniverse on tumblr

It was well past midnight now, and the storm outside seemed to have only gotten stronger.Neither the steady roar of the downpour, nor the booming of thunder that interspersed it, showed any signs of abating soon. 

 

Still, despite the tempestuous noises echoing into the cave from outside, it seemed that most of the Links had fallen asleep quite easily. The ground was hard, and there was little to be used as bedding, but apparently these young men and boys were used to such uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, for only two of them currently remained awake.

 

Time had volunteered to take watch for the night, sitting propped up against a rock at the cave’s mouth, staring into the storm outside with an emotionless face. Legend sat several feet behind him, a look of agitated boredom on his face as he tossed the occasional pebble out into the storm.

 

“You really should get some sleep,” Time had warned, but the other would not be swayed.

 

“I’ve never needed much sleep,” was his proffered excuse. But the tightness in his muscles, as well as the paleness of his face, betrayed the existence of a much deeper reason behind his reluctance to settle down for the night.

 

“I can take watch if you’d like,” the blue-capped hero offered, tossing another pebble. “You can get some of that sleep you think is so important.”

 

Time shook his head slowly. “Sleep will not come to me tonight. Even if I were to lie down and invite it.”

 

“Too much on your mind?”

 

“I suppose you could say that.”

 

The two lapsed into silence, as the rain continued to pour outside.Time glanced back at the other Links, all sleeping in various positions throughout the cave. Then he glanced back at Legend.

 

“Earlier tonight...” he began quietly. “You said you’d promised yourself you’d never get into another mess like this...”

 

Legend snorted softly.“Yeah. Being the ‘hero’ gets old pretty quick, actually.”

 

The older hero sighed. “It does. But how many times have you been dragged into it anyway?”

 

“Counting the current mess, I’m at 6.” He raised a curious eyebrow at Time. “What about you?”

 

The other remained quiet for a moment, before answering.

 

“Two, before this. But those two might well have been ten, for all that I went through.”

 

Legend shook his head. “The goddess really loves to throw us into these disasters, doesn’t she? Sometimes I think she’s just a sadist who likes to watch me - or us - suffer.”

 

“Truly, she uses us whenever it suits her,” Time muttered bitterly. “I find it exceedingly difficult to believe she cares at all what becomes of us - as long as we fulfill our appointed tasks.”

 

Legend made no sound of disagreement, and the conversation wilted into silence once more, as thunder continued to crash outside. Brilliant flashes of lightning illuminated the cave, casting harsh shadows against the inner walls, and the blue-capped hero tensed up despite himself. He turned his gaze back to Time, who stared out into the tempest unperturbed, and with both eyes open, despite only being able to see with one.

 

“Do you see anything out there?”

 

The older hero hesitated. 

 

“I see nothing but the storm,” he answered without adjusting his gaze. “Though I cant help but wonder what evil lies in wait for us beyond it.”

 

“Whatever it is, I hope the goddesses have some mercy on it.” Legend spoke quietly, fingering another pebble. “Because I’m certainly not inclined to.”

 

Time let out a chuckle, finally turning his gaze from the storm outside, raising an eyebrow as he glanced back at the younger hero behind him.

 

“Looking to finish this quickly, are you?”

 

”As quickly as possible.” Legend affirmed, flicking his pebble away. “And after I do that, I’m going to find a way up to the heavens, so I can personally let the goddess know that I’m _retired_.”

 

“Well if you ever do find her, let me know.” Time grinned wryly. “I’ve got a few words of my own that I’d like to share with her.”

 

“You know,” Legend mused, glancing back at the other 7 heroes occupying the cave, “I get the feeling there’s gonna be a line.”

 

Time shook his head sadly. “That’s to be expected, I suppose.”

 

***

 

The rest of the night passed slowly and in relative silence.The storm finally began to die down several hours after midnight, and was little more than a drizzle by the time morning arrived.

 

Twilight was the first of the sleepers to awaken, joining Time and Legend as they stood by the mouth of the cave, watching the first rays of the sun as they broke over the distant horizon. A vast forest stretched out in the valley below, lush and verdant, and glistening with wetness after yesterday’s storm.

 

“I love the smell of the land after a fresh rain.” Twilight announced. “The world feels fresh and alive in a way it seldom does otherwise.”

 

“I’m just glad the storm is finally passed.” Legend replied. “I wasn’t looking forward to traveling through that.”

 

“How long have you two been up?”

 

“Long enough to feel restless.” The other answered curtly, before turning to nod briefly at Time. “I think I’m gonna go scout around down there, see if I can’t find us all something to eat.”

 

“Be careful.” Time advised.“It not your Hyrule out there.”

 

“I’ll be fine.” Legend scoffed, already walking out of the cave. “I know how to handle unfamiliar lands.”

 

Twilight watched him go, before his eyes drifted back to Time. The growing daylight gave him a fresh opportunity to examine the other hero’s armor, which he hadn’t been able to do well last night. In the dim firelight of the previous evening, he had only seen enough to know there was something... odd about it. Something that prodded at his memory. But what was it?

 

“Did you sleep well?”

 

The elder’s voice brought him out of his thoughts. 

 

“Well enough.” He replied. “What about you?”

 

Time shook his head.“My thoughts were far too occupied, and I am accustomed to running on little sleep.”

 

Twilight pursed his lips. “And where have your thoughts led you? What is your opinion of the road ahead?”

 

“Only that we must be prepared for the worst. I shudder to imagine a force strong enough to bend time and space in such a way that we could all be drawn together like this. Whatever the threat is, it is most assuredly greater than anything we have faced individually.”

 

Twilight crossed his arms, gazing out at the forest below. “Whatever the threat may be, we will have to face it regardless of its strength. Such is our duty.”

 

Time nodded, his armor gleaming in the morning sunlight. “Our duty never ends, it would seem. Still, I am glad to have company for this adventure.” He turned to Twilight with an appraising eye as he continued. “Though you have yet to draw your sword in my sight, I know you are a powerful warrior, for your words betray the courage with which your hand holds the blade. I hope for all our sakes that the others share the same spirit.”

 

For an instant, Twilight was whisked back in time, recalling the specter of another one-eyed and armored figure as it spoke to him of courage.

 

His eyes widened. Was it possible...?

 

“Tell me,” Time asked curiously, interrupting his thoughts once again, “who were you before you were chosen by fate? For though you have the bearing of a warrior, you don’t exactly look like a knight of Hyrule - at least not from my day.”

 

Twilight’s mouth twitched up in a grin. “I actually am a knight, in title. Zelda insisted on that much, after my task was complete. My heart, however, is that of a simple rancher. The day before I was chosen by the gods, I was nothing more than a goat-herder, if you’d believe it.”

 

Time broke out into a deep laugh, reaching out to clasp the other’s shoulder.“I don’t doubt it for a minute. Indeed, you have the strong build of a farmhand. And I do mean that as a compliment” He grinned as he spoke, his scarred face crinkled with warmth. “Such simple and honest folk are the best kind of people you’ll ever meet. Nobles and Royalty like to claim they are our betters, but the reality is quite the opposite. Stay proud of your heritage, kid.”

 

That’s not my only heritage. Twilight mused silently, as the memory of a skeletal warrior flashed through his mind. But instead of saying anything, he just nodded in response to the elder’s words, while offering him a weak smile.

 

A yell suddenly echoed up from the forest below, drawing both their attention. A moment later Legend burst out from the trees, sword drawn in his left hand, while his right hand held a still-twitching deku-baba by its stem. 

 

“Somebody ask Sky what the hell is up with the plant life here!”

 

***

 

“What do you mean you’ve never seen a deku-baba?” Sky asked, yawning. “They’re all over the place.”

 

“In your world, maybe. But I’ve been to hell and back in my world, and I’ve never had a plant stand up and try to bite my ass.”

 

“They don’t exist in my world either.” Wild interrupted, tapping on his strange tablet.

 

“Or mine.” Added Hyrule.

 

Twilight just shook his head. “Well, maybe they went extinct by Legend’s time.I don’t think anybody would miss them too much.”

 

“This is just something we’re going to have to get used to.” Time announced. “This Hyrule is different than the ones we’re each used to. Sky, you’re going to need to keep us aware of anything we need to watch our for. This is your Hyrule, so you’ll lead the way.”

 

“Lead the way where?” Questioned Wind. “Last I heard, none of us knew that on earth is going on here.”

 

“I’ll lead us to New Hylia.” Sky explained. “Zelda might have some insight on the matter, and even if she doesn’t, we could hitch a ride from there up to Skyloft, and see if one of the professors there might know more.”

 

“How long will it take us to get there?”

 

“A few days, at least.”

 

“I don’t suppose you’ve got any food on you then?” Legend asked. “I didn’t find anything that looked edible out there before I was interrupted by the man-eating plant.”

 

Sky scratched scratched back of his neck awkwardly. “I’ve got a couple scraps of jerky, but not enough to feed everybody here...”

 

“I’ve got food.” Wild interrupted, holding up his glowing tablet with a grin. He swiped at the face of it several times, then tapped, and suddenly a handful of apples materialized on the ground in front of him.

 

“How’d you do that?!” Cried Wind, eyes wide as he picked up an apple.

 

Wild shrugged, growing bashful under the astonished faces of the others.“It’s just the Shiekah Slate.” He explained. “It carries my entire inventory, somehow.”

 

“Exactly how much can you carry with that magic?” Twilight questioned. 

 

“Ummmmm...A lot.” Wild replied after a moment. “And it’s not really magic, it’s science of some sort.”

 

“Do you know how it works?”

 

“Not really.”

 

“Then it’s magic.”

 

Wild shrugged, letting Twilight have his way. He tapped the screen again, and another handful of apples appeared. 

 

“Everybody dig in.”

 

***

 

A short while later, the group stood ready to leave the cave. Sky took charge, giving them all a brief explanation about what they could expect ahead.

 

“Deku Babas are common in the forest, but they’re more of an annoyance than an actual threat. Bokoblins are relatively active as well. Moblins are rare these days, but keep an eye out all the same. We shouldn’t run into any major problems. Monsters aren’t as prevalent as they were before...” The white-cloaked hero hesitated for a moment, before finishing. “Before I defeated the Demon King.”

 

With that, he stepped outside the cave, gazing out over his Hyrule. The ground was still damp after the rain, but the Sky was now clear and blue, with only a few clouds remaining low on the horizon. Stretching his limbs in the fresh air, he couldn’t help but feel a smile spread over his face. He turned to his companions.

 

“We’re at the northernmost edge of the forest right now.” He explained. Raising a hand, he pointed out a previously unnoticed structure in the distance. “That’s the Skyview Temple. We’ll head there first, then take the road southwest towards New Hylia and the Sealed Grounds. Does that sound like a plan?”

 

“It’s good enough for me, since this is your Hyrule anyway.” Legend replied, dropping into an exaggerated bow. “Lead the way, oh Hero of Skies.”

 

The aforementioned hero grinned, returning the bow. He nodded once towards the others, and then they were off, trudging down the hillside and into the cool shade of the magnificent forest.


	5. Skyview Temple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I’m not dead. 
> 
> Sorry this hasn’t been updated in so long, life got in the way and I just couldn’t find the frame of mind to write. I’m back now though, and should be updating once a week or so. I’ll let you guys know if there’s another hiatus like that, but for now it’s back to the story!

The atmosphere within the border of the Faron woods was undeniably peaceful. The air remained cool, even as the morning sun rose steadily higher into the sky, and for that the heroes were grateful. It had been several long hours of walking since they had started their trek, and though they had yet to encounter any trouble - aside from the occasional deku-baba, much to Legend’s distaste - it was still a rough hike through thick brush without a trail to follow.

 

“How much further is it?” Wind groaned, struggling to keep up with Sky’s longer pace as he led the group onward.

 

The white-cloaked teen hummed thoughtfully. “Probably about a third of the way.” He replied after a moment. “It’s only been a few hours, but we’ve made pretty good time.”

 

“Only a third?” Wind gasped. “That’s gonna take all day! How do you even get around in a world this big? It’s so much walking!”

 

Sky furrowed his brow, glancing back at the younger hero. “There’s nothing wrong with walking.” He defended. “Besides, this isn’t even that far in the grand scheme of things. Surely the world isn’t any smaller in your time?”

 

“Smaller, no. Easier to get around in, yes! In my world, Hyrule is a giant ocean, and I navigate it on the finest sailing ship ever built!” Wind’s eyes gleamed and his mouth curved up in a grin. “I let the wind do the heavy hauling when I travel,” he boasted. “It’s faster, it’s easier, and it’s never this boring either!”

 

Sky chuckled. “Well, I’m afraid this Hyrule doesn’t have anything larger than a lake right now. There used to be a large sea out in Lanayru, but nowadays it’s all just sand. So if you want to sail, I’m afraid you’re out of luck.” He shrugged. “You'd be much better off just using a loftwing here anyways - especially if you want to see other people.Most hylians still live up on Skyloft, and there isn’t really another way up there.”

 

“What’s Skyloft?”

 

The hero in white paused at the question, stopping to glance back at the younger. “You’ve really never heard of it?”

 

“Heard of what?” Twilight inquired as the he and the others began to walk up from behind. “Why are we stopping?”

 

“Nothing important.” Sky replied, shaking his head. “Wind was just asking me a question, and I wondered...Do any of you know of Skyloft ?”

 

The answer was silence.

 

Sky felt his mouth drop into a frown. Would Skyloft cease to exist at some point in the future? And would there really be nobody who could keep its memory alive?

 

Before his thoughts could progress further, his focus was snapped back to the forest ahead as Time issued a quiet warning. 

 

“We’re not alone.”

 

All nine Links snapped reflexively into focus at the warning, all conversation ceasing as several hands moved swiftly to their weapons.

 

“I can hear them up ahead...” Twilight said in a low voice, his head cocked slightly to the side as he listened intently. “Several creatures, armed, with heavier footsteps than Hylians.”

 

“I see them!” Wind announced in a whisper, gazing through a small telescope that he had produced from somewhere on his person. “Five pink monsters with big metal shields.”

 

“Moblins,” Sky muttered. “A hassle, but it shouldn’t be too difficult. Still, why are there so many of them together?”

 

“Those don’t look like Moblins.” Wild countered as held up his slate, which was somehow functioning the same way as Wind’s telescope. “They’re too short, and way too fat.”

 

“Tall and thin?” Four muttered, “What kind of Moblin is tall and thin?”

 

“The kind that will knock you off a cliff if it has a club, or throw a bokoblin at you if it doesn’t.” Wild replied. 

 

“It doesn’t matter what kind of Moblin it is.” Legend asserted. “They’re obviously monsters either way. Let’s just get rid of them and be on our way.”

 

Warriors nodded his head. “They shouldn’t be too hard.Still, I thought you said these things were rare now, didn’t you Sky?”

 

“ _They are_.” The hero in whited defended. “I’ve never fought more than two at a time here, even when these woods were filled with monsters!”

 

“Just worry about one of them today.” Time directed. “I’m sure the rest of us can handle the others.”

 

Sky nodded. “They’re strong, but they’re slow. You just have to get over those shields. They’re too tough for swords or bombs to get past.”

 

Legend scoffed. “They obviously haven’t met my sword.”

 

* * *

 

The Moblins didn’t hear anything until the Links were nearly on top of them. Suddenly, a battle cry sounded from the trees, and nine blonde heroes rushed at their foes. The Moblins were tough, but they were outnumbered and vastly outclassed.

 

The Master Sword batted the first monster’s spear aside, and Sky vaulted over its shield, nothing more than a white blur as he struck directly at its heart. The next creature fell prey to Warriors, who circled the beast with deft experience, moving with such precision and grace that it might have been mistaken for a dance, if not for the blood that stained the ground as the Moblin collapsed a moment later. 

 

The other creatures fared no better. Four, Hyrule, and Wind teamed up together against one, taking turns striking from behind and then dodging back as the monster whirled on them. It stumbled, and Wind vaulted onto its back to strike the finishing blow.The fourth beast was stunned by the flash of a bomb thrown by Wild, quickly followed up by the sting of Twilight’s blade. As the monster turned to face the fur-clad hero, Time raced up from behind, and decapitated it with a single swing of his mighty blade. 

 

The last beast was cordially introduced to Legend’s sword. Nobody saw exactly how it happened. As they each finished up their own fights, they saw only the corpse of the Moblin, with Legend’s sword buried in it’s skull. Legend himself stood nearby, looking supremely bored. 

 

“We ready to move on?” He asked, yanking his sword out. 

 

Time nodded. “I assume we’re all in one piece?”

 

“Not a scratch.” Warriors affirmed, grinning. It felt good to stretch his muscles in battle again. The others reported the same - the fight had been easy.

 

Sky however, shook his head. “The fight might have been easy, but it is not normal for there to be five of those thing together like that. I’ve never seen more than two, and that was before I killed the demon king.”

 

“Probably means he’s getting ready to come back again.” Legend replied nonchalantly as he cleaned his blade. “That’s how it usually goes.”

 

Sky felt his heart drop at the thought.A chill went down his spine, as memories of Zelda, falling limp and lifeless through the air, flashed through his mind. He pushed those thoughts aside for the moment, swallowing his fear as he turned to Legend. “What do you mean, that’s how it usually goes?”

 

“You know,” the blue-capped hero shrugged. “Whenever Ganon is about to resurrect himself, there’s usually a big increase in monster activity, among other things.”

 

The other heroes nodded in agreement, and Sky braced himself to ask the question he feared already knew the answer to.

 

“Who’s Ganon?”

 

The rest of the group gaped at him.

 

“What do you mean who’s Ganon?” Warriors frowned. “We’ve all fought Ganon, haven’t we? It’s why we’re here now, I’m sure.”

 

Sky shook his head. “I’ve never heard of him.”

 

“You said you’d fought the demon king,” Legend pointed out, as the others began to murmur and question all at once. 

 

“There’s no Ganon in your world?!”

 

“How can you use that blade and not know who Ganon is?”

 

“Who did you fight, if not Ganon?”

 

“That’s _enough_ ,” Time ordered, leveling a frigid glare at the others. “Ganon, while he may be one of the most serious, is not the only source of evil in the world. I can attest to that personally.” He turned his gaze to Sky as he continued, “Ganon’s story is a long and painful one, and I suspect that none of us know the whole of it. If you truly wish to hear it, I will tell you what I can - but now is not the time. These woods have proven to be unsafe, and we should cover as much ground as we can before it gets dark.”

Sky nodded reluctantly, understanding the wisdom behind Time’s words, but lamenting the fact that he would not yet receive the answers he sought.

 

“Tell me tonight when we make camp, then.” He conceded as he glanced upward. “If we want shelter for the night, we’d better pick up the pace. Skyview Temple is a good four or five hours away still, and it’s already past noon.”

 

Wind groaned aloud as the others stowed their weapons and tightened their gear, preparing for a long walk. “What I wouldn’t give to be back on a boat right now...”

 

* * *

 

Though they kept careful watch as they traveled, the heroes did not encounter anything more dangerous than a deku-baba for the next several hours.Only as they reached their destination, and the sun dipped low in the western sky, did Sky call the group to a halt.

 

“Keep your eyes peeled,” he warned.“We’ve arrived.”

 

There, standing tall and imposing in the midst of a wide clearing in the forest, stood Skyview temple. The setting sun bathed the white stone edifice in warm golden rays, contrasting with the long shadows of the trees as they continued to grow with every passing minute.

 

“Do you see trouble ahead? Time questioned, as the others gathered beside him.

 

“Not yet,” he replied. “But I’m not taking any chances after what we ran into earlier today. The temple is a maze inside, and last time I was here, it was brimming with bokos and skulltullas.”

 

“And you thought this would be a good place to rest tonight?!” Warriors gaped at him.

 

“It’s shelter,” the Hero of Skies defended, “and there are plenty of defensible spaces inside, if the need should arise. We just need to be careful.”

 

Without waiting for a reply, he continued forward, carefully approached the wide stone stairway that led up to the temple’s entrance. Reverently, he drew the Master Sword from its scabbard on his back, and held it before him as he bowed his head. 

 

_“Guide me again as you once did.”_ He whispered to the blade, before holding it aloft, and feeling the familiar holy energy gather above his hand. The metal flashed with holy light, and Sky swung the sword down, sending an arc of brilliant light towards his target - the crystal switch hanging above the temple‘s main doorway.

 

At once, the ground began to rumble as the massive, gilded doors shuddered and began to swing open. The others gathered behind him as he returned his blade to her sheath with a soft smile, and together they approached the entrance.

 

“I continue to question our choice of shelter for the night.” Warriors hummed as they gazed inside, down a dark stairwell covered in vines and cobwebs. “Are we sure nothing’s gonna try to kill us in our sleep?”

 

Legend scoffed. “Sky said he’s been down here a couple times already. It can’t be that bad...” He turned to warriors and smirked. “Unless you don’t think you can handle a few spiders, Mr. ‘Captain of the Royal Guard’...?”

 

“That’s not what I— I was just...” The Captain went red in the face. “I can handle any spider you throw at me!”

 

“Great,” The other hero replied with a sadistic grin. “Then you can head down first.”

 

“Wait, what?”

 

Legend cackled at Warriors’ dumbfounded expression, as Sky shook his head.“I’ll go first.” He decided. “It’s not far to the first room anyway. We can shut the doors for the night and sleep safely there. If anybody has a torch or lantern, that might come in handy.”

 

Twilight and Legend both produced lanterns from their packs, and had them lit a couple moments later.Twilight followed close behind Sky, as Legend brought up the rear, and together the group descended into the temple.

 

The path spiraling down inward was dark and damp. Water pooled in cracks and crevices in the stone below their feet, while tree roots protruded from the ceilings and walls, and luminous fungi sprouted up from the floors. Cobwebs as thick as ropes blocked the path forward, and the continuous drip-drip of water echoed throughout the tunnel.

 

“Watch your step.” Cautioned Sky, as he stepped over a puddle in the crumbling stone, while Twilight used his lantern to clear thick cobwebs that blocked the way.It wasn’t long before the group reached the entrance to the first room - an ornate bronze door locked behind an iron gate. Sky bid them wait for a moment as he clambered up a vine-covered wall to the right of the doorway, and disappeared onto the ledge above. 

 

A quiet screech could be heard, and the severed head of a Deku-Baba tumbled from the ledge above, landing at Hyrule’s feet with a thud. The iron gate in front of the door began to lift itself, and Sky jumped down from the ledge a moment later. He lifted the bronze door into the room, and waved the group in behind him. “As promised,” he grinned, “our shelter for the night.”

 

The room wasn’t particularly large, but it was cleaner and drier than the hall outside. The center of the room was occupied by a large, raised pedestal, and surrounded by a flat cobblestone floor, broken here and there by the odd fungi sticking out of it.

 

Time nodded in satisfaction as he entered the room. “It’ll do.” Legend took two steps inside, declared that he had slept in worse places, and promptly claimed half of the central pedestal as his bed for the night. Wild offered no complaints, and quickly settled down next to the trunk of a large tree that stood halfway buried in the wall. The others followed, and with minimal complaints, set about making camp.Sky let the door drop behind them, sealing them in for the night against whatever might be roaming about outside. 

 

“Alright, who among us has any food for the night?” Warriors asked, looking from hero to hero.

 

Silence answered him, until Wild quietly raised his hand. He tapped the screen of his slate a few times, and several pieces of raw meat materialized on the ground before him. He tapped again and a bundle of wood appeared.

 

“Give me a few minutes,” the scarred hero spoke up for the first time since the afternoon. “I don’t have much on me right now, but I should be able to cook us all some meat and mushroom skewers.”

 

The others gaped at him. 

 

“That’s it.” Legend decided.“Wild is in charge of _all_ food from here on out.”

 

* * *

 

An hour later, as Wild’s cooking fire blazed happily before them, and the group was quietly finishing off the last bits of their dinner, Sky decided it was time to broach the topic they had dropped earlier.He shifted nervously, and as he was about to speak up, his restless eyes met Time’s one. The elder hero gazed at him searchingly for a moment, and seemed to know what Sky was about to ask. With a slight nod, he turned his piercing eye upon the others. 

 

“I think it’s about time we discussed some things,” he said, in a quiet but firm voice, turning his gaze to each of the others in turn.

 

“I second that.” Four spoke up. “I’ve got a few questions that need answering, and I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one. For one thing, I’m as ignorant as Sky is when it comes to this ‘Ganon’ guy. And for another, what’s up with Sky’s sword? You all acted like you recognized it, but I’ve never seen it in my life.”

 

“I’ve never seen it either, for what it’s worth.” Added Hyrule. “But I think I could hear it calling me...last night during the storm.”

 

“It calls us all.” Time muttered, gazing at the sword on Sky’s back as a myriad of emotions welled within him. “For good or for ill.”

 

“I’ll explain what I can about the Master Sword.” Sky promised. “I’m willing to bet I know her the best, out of all of us. But if you wouldn’t mind...I’d like to know who Ganon is first.”

 

Time sighed.“To know Ganon, you must first know Ganondorf, and his lust for the power of the gods.”

 

The-eyed hero went silent for a moment before continuing, staring into the dancing flames before them as he spoke. “I’ll tell you the story from the beginning... As my Father once told it to me:

 

            _Before time began, before spirits and life existed... Three golden_

_goddesses descended upon the chaos that was Hyrule..._

 

_Din, the goddess of power... Nayru, the goddess of wisdom..._

_Farore, the goddess of courage..._

 

_Din... With her strong flaming arms, she cultivated the land and_

_created the red earth._

 

_Nayru... Poured her wisdom onto the earth and gave the spirit of law_

_to the world._

 

_Farore... With her rich soul, produced all life forms who would_

_uphold the law._

 

_The three great goddesses, their labors completed, departed for_

_the heavens. And golden sacred triangles remained at the point where_

_the goddesses left the world. Since then, the sacred triangles have_

_become the basis for our world's providence. And, the resting place_

_of the triangles has become the Sacred Realm.”_

 

The others listened with rapt attention as Time recited the creation legend, speaking in solemn tones, and with the air of a man who knew and opined far more than he would ever be willing to say aloud. His face twisted into a frown as he continued the story, his gaze clouded as it wandered over the faces of each one of his companions.

 

“Those sacred triangles - the Triforce - contain the very power of the gods themselves. Each piece represents one of the three golden goddesses, and their inherent virtue. Power. Wisdom. Courage. And any being who touches the full Triforce, provided he has a balanced heart, will have any wish granted to him. This power is what Ganon craves, above all else.”

 

Sky remained silent as he listened, deep in thought. Sacred Realm? Where or what was the Sacred Realm, and how did the Triforce make its way there? He and Zelda had decided to leave the sacred relic where it rested atop the Goddess Statue in the sealed temple, to be forever watched and guarded by the people of New Hylia. Had something happened to cause it to fall into evil hands? It made him all the more eager to return home and check on things. 

 

Meanwhile, Time continued his oration.

 

“Ganondorf Dragmire was born into this world as a Gerudo - a man of the desert born to be king of his people. He was a sorcerer of great skill, and his heart was as black as the armor he wore. By cunning and by deceit, he maneuvered his way into power, with the goal of laying his hand on the golden power of the gods, and using it to conquer all the land. By abuse of trust, and a great deal of manipulation, he eventually gained access to the sacred realm, and laid his hand on the sacred triangles - but his heart was not balanced. The Triforce split at his touch, and he was left with the piece his heart craved the most - power. Nevertheless, even with only that one piece, Ganondorf dragged Hyrule down to ruin. Eventually, his heart grew so corrupted that the power of the Triforce transformed himself into a dark horned beast known only as Ganon. In that form he is nearly invincible, but his mind is reduced to little more than hatred and malice given flesh.”

 

“But what happened to the other Triforce pieces?” Wind questioned, his eyes wide as he drank in every word of the story.

 

“The remaining pieces fled to their own chosen bearers.Princess Zelda found herself gifted with Wisdom.And Courage, well...”

 

Time paused, removing his right gauntlet, and the glove underneath. He held up his hand, and on the back of his palm could be seen three glowing triangles - the bottom right piece glowing brighter than the others.

 

“Courage found its way to a young boy from the forest.”

 

“Oh, I had the same piece once!” Wind cried excitedly. “I had to scour the ocean to find all the pieces, and then put it back together so I could get into the tower of the gods and—”

 

“Woah woah woah, hold on a sec.” Legend interrupted. “What do you mean you had to find the _pieces_ of it?”

 

“And why were they scattered in an ocean?” Four questioned.

 

Wind furrowed his brow.“Well, I don’t know exactly why it was broken in pieces, but the ocean formed when Ganon returned, after the hero of...The hero...” He trailed off. 

 

“Wind?”

 

Suddenly, the young hero turned to Time, mouth agape. “It’s **you**!” He exclaimed. “You’re the hero of Time! The one from all Grandmother’s stories, the one who defeated Ganon and then vanished, never to return!”

 

“Ummmm...”

 

“Where did you go? Why didn’t you come back when they needed you?”

 

“When who needed me?” Time asked, thoroughly confused.

 

“Hyrule!” Wind cried. “Ganon broke free of his seal, and there was no hero to fight him! You vanished!”

 

“Hey, guys...” Twilight shifted uncomfortably, trying to interrupt, but Wind kept talking. Time’s face had gone pale. 

 

“Everybody always told me I was supposed to carry on your legacy! But where were you when Hyrule needed you again? Why did you leave?”

 

“Guys!” Twilight held his head in his hands, grimacing in pain. Four fell sideways, struggling with a sudden bout of dizziness. 

 

“The goddesses had to flood all of Hyrule to stop Ganon, just because you abandoned it!”

 

”Shut up, Wind!” Legend snapped, as he stood trying to support Four, who was reeling back and forth like a drunkard. “We’ve got a problem here!”

 

Wind and Time abruptly noticed that others were all standing, and the room they were in was...softly glowing?

 

“There’s powerful magic in the air...” Hyrule warned, as Twilight cried out in pain.

 

Wild kicked the fire out, and had his cloak wrapped around him an instant later as the still air became suddenly windy. “Sky, what’s going on?”

 

The hero in white shook his head. “I have no idea! This has never happened before!”

 

Time’s stomach dropped, as he felt the uncomfortably familiar sensation of time itself stretching around him.

 

“Everybody get together!” He bellowed as the room began to glow brighter. “Quickly!”

 

The winds intensified, and the glow became brighter, as the group hurried to grab their gear and huddle in the center of the room. Legend almost dragging a reeling Four, and Warriors supporting Twilight as the other hero groaned in agony.

 

“What’s happening?!” Cried Wind

 

“We’re in a fucking warp!” Legend shouted

 

“Just hold on!” Time yelled over the howling winds.“Whatever you do, don’t let go!”

 

The nine Links held onto each other for dear life, as the wind became a hurricane, the ground disappeared beneath them, and the world around them vanished into white.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I’m not counting Four Swords Adventure into the timeline here. Makes too many things really confusing down the road. 
> 
> Questioned or comments? Leave a review! I always read them and I’ll definitely reply if you have a question. It’ll also help me if you point out any spelling or grammar errors. I do my best to proof these, but I don’t have a beta reader, so there’s only so much I can do. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you next week with another chapter!


	6. Through Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of a time-warp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hylia above, it's been too long since I updated this. My computer crashed on me last november and I lost all the work I had done on this story - I've had to re-write pretty much everything after getting a replacement.
> 
> Sorry for being late, but I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Time shielded his eyes from the violent light as the maelstrom swirled about him and the other heroes. He could feel the uncomfortably familiar sensation of the world warping and stretching around him. His fingers itched for the Ocarina he carried in his pack. The air itself felt suffocating, and the wind seemed to scream it’s fury like an angry cloud of keese, pulling and tearing at his clothes and bags.

 

And then suddenly it was over, and Time cautiously opened his eyes.

 

White. Brilliant, empty, all-consuming whiteness. Time opened his eye to find himself alone, in an empty white void. The wind around him had ceased, and the others had vanished.

 

“Hello?” He called into the ether. A long silence ensued, with no reply from the void. There was no life, no sound, there was nothing at all in this vast empty space.

 

Time tried to run. His legs moved, but the void did not. Everywhere around him was white. There was nothing to be seen in any direction. He was helpless to escape.

 

Suddenly, a wailing voice cried out, as if from a long distance.

 

_“Oh Hero, why art thou here?”_

 

Time whirled about, trying to find the source of the voice. Trying to find _anything_.

 

“Where are you?” He called.

 

_“Oh Hero, lost in the winds,”_ the voice continued its wailing lamentation. _“Thou dost not belong here.”_

 

"Who are you?" Time yelled into the void. "Where am I?"

 

But his voice was drowned out as the winds began to howl again, and the whiteness around him became blinding. Time felt himself grow dizzy and faint as he was pulled back through his namesake once again - the last thing he heard being the echo of the voice’s final words.

 

_“Until we meet again, oh Hero of Time.”_

 

* * *

 

“—ime!”

 

“Time!”

 

**_“Time!”_ **

 

Awareness came flooding back to him as somebody shook him roughly. He was on the ground, back in his normal adult body. Above him were trees and a thickly clouded sky. And a very pissed off Legend.

 

“Snap out of it, old man! We’ve got to get moving!”

 

“What’s going on?” He asked, sitting up, trying to gauge his surroundings while still processing whatever vision or dream he had just had. Wind and Sky were huddled over Twilight, who was kneeling on the ground and moaning in pain as he held his head in his hands. Hyrule was crouched over Four, who lay passed out completely. Wild and Warriors were nowhere to be seen.

 

“There’s about a dozen moblins bearing down on us.” Legend huffed, as he helped Time to his feet. “I don’t know when or where we landed after that warp, and I don’t think these moblins look as tough as Sky’s, but it’s still not something we want to deal with right now. Four and Twilight are totally out of commission.”

 

“Nobody knows where we are?”

 

“There’s not much to go by.” Legend replied with a shake of his head. “The moblins look different than in Sky’s world, but they’re not exactly what the rest of us are used to either. And until we get somewhere with a good vantage point, we won’t be able to get a good look at the land either. Either way, we should focus on getting these two invalids out of here first - those monsters are only a few minutes away.”

                                                

“Understood.” Time nodded, even as the strange voice still echoed through his mind. “Sky, you carry Four. I’ll help Twilight. The rest of you, watch our backs. Where are Wild and Warriors?”

 

“They went off to try and distract the monsters. They’ll catch up later.”

 

“Alright then, let’s move out!” The eldest hero signaled as he lifted a groaning Twilight to his feet, supporting the reeling hero by the shoulder. Sky was already carrying Four into the woods ahead, with Wind and Hyrule close behind him. Legend was waiting, sword drawn, ready to follow them. Time steeled himself, forcing all thoughts of the strange vision out of his head, as he put his focus on Twilight. “Come on kid, we’ve got to move.”

 

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Wild and Warriors were dealing with their own dilemma.

 

“Those are _Moblins_? Are you sure?” Whispered Wild, hidden beneath his cloak.

 

“No Wild, I’m not sure.” Warriors shot back quietly, trying to keep hidden under the foliage as he stared out at the group of advancing monsters. “What I’m sure of is that it doesn’t matter what they are!”

 

“Okay, okay, so how were you planning on distracting them?”

 

“I haven’t decided yet.” Warriors replied. “There are a few archers in there, so we don’t want to get too close unless we have a plan to take them out.”

 

“How many archers exactly?” Wild pressed. “I could probably take out three before they really notice me.”

 

“There’s at least five archers,” muttered Warriors, “and I don’t trust my archery skills enough to give you proper backup from this distance.”

 

“How about a distraction, then?”

 

“That could work,” Warriors hummed. “What did you have in mind?”

 

“Explosions.” Wild grinned.

 

* * *

 

Five minutes later, the two heroes lay concealed in the underbrush on opposite sides of the small horde. Wild notched an arrow and pulled the string back. He steadied his breath, waiting for the lead monsters to move just a bit further...

 

_There_.

 

He met his comrade’s eyes across the way, and with a small nod, he released the string. One moblin archer fell dead.

 

An instant later, a series of explosions resounded from just ahead of the monsters, courtesy of the bomb arrows Wild had given his companion. _“You don’t need good aim if your arrows are lethal from 10 feet away.”_

The monsters were left reeling, fully away that they were under attack, but too scattered and disoriented to find out just where it was coming from.

Wild let another arrow loose, and another archer fell, pierced in the head. Warriors had killed or wounded several with the bomb arrows and was now leaping into the fray with his sword. And while his skill with the bow may have been inferior to Wild’s own, the cloaked hero could see that when it came to swordplay, Warriors was clearly a master of his art. He moved with the practiced grace of a trained fighter, and his movements were as fluid as they were deadly. Three spear-wielding moblins fell to his blade within the first 10 seconds, even as another two fell to the dirt with Wild’s arrows in their necks.

 

Faced with such skilled opposition, the monsters apparently decided that enough was enough. There were only four left now, all running back the way they had come. Warriors made to pursue them, but Wild stepped out from his cover and bade him wait. The cloaked hero’s fingers hovered over his slate, and with the press of a button, two sharp explosions rang out, and the remaining moblins were launched into the air by the bombs Wild had planted earlier. They hit the ground a moment later with a sickening thud, and then all was quiet.

 

“Nice planning, Wild.” The Hero of Warriors complimented, clapping his companion on the back. “You could lead armies with a tactical mind like that.”

 

The scarred hero rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, shrugging off the praise. “Well, I used to be a knight once...”

 

Warriors grinned. “I wouldn’t say ‘used to be’, my friend. Once a knight of Hyrule, always a knight of Hyrule. And you’ve got the skill and courage of the very finest. Now let’s go find the others, and tell the tale of our great victory!”

 

“But it was only twelve monsters...?”

 

“Well then we were still outnumbered six-to-one.” Warriors grinned. “Not very bad odds for us I’d say, but it still might make for a good story someday. Why, I’ll tell you about the time I was outnumbered four-to-one, but still in a fight for my life. They weren’t any ordinary enemies - these were poisonous Manhandla Stalks!”

 

Wild shook his head as Warriors began regaling him with his (somewhat outlandish) story of heroism, quietly grinning under his hood as he led the way back towards the others.

 

* * *

 

“We’ll make camp here.” Time called to the others. “As long as Wild and Warriors did their job, we should be safe enough taking a rest here.”

 

The group had moved east, away from the slowly setting sun, and had traversed a good two or three miles of forest before being halted by a wide river that blocked their advance forward. _Not that we know if we’re heading in the right direction anyway._ Time mused.

 

Twilight had recovered somewhat quickly during the walk, as the shock of time travel wore off. And there was no doubt among the group that they _had_ time traveled. Time had quickly recognized the feel of it, even during his strange vision earlier. Legend had quickly seconded him - apparently the younger hero had some experience in that field as well. Four was still completely passed out however, and that was rather worrisome. Even if somebody was completely unused to warping and time traveling, it was odd to be this drastically affected.

 

“That was no ordinary magic that brought us here.” Twilight asserted as he sat down on the patchy grass, wearied from both the brisk walk and his earlier migraine.

 

“Of course it’s not ordinary,” Legend scowled, dropping his pack to the ground. “We fucking time traveled - again!”

 

“I mean it felt dark.” Twilight elaborated. “Malicious, but uncontrolled.”

 

“Well that’s just great.” Legend complained. “Another time-hopping quest, the _one_ time I leave the Harp of Ages at home!”

 

Time ignored the blue-capped hero’s ranting, instead kneeling next to Sky to check on Four.

 

“How’s he holding up?”

 

Sky shook his head. “He seems completely fine physically. He’s just out of it for some reason. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s just completely new to warping like that.”

 

“Just keep a close eye on him for now. I don’t want to take any chances.” He turned his eye to the white-cloaked hero. “How are you holding up? This is your first time out of your own era, isn’t it?”

 

“I’m fine.” Sky promised. “I did a few time-jumps of my own, trying to save Zelda a few years back. This was rougher, but nothing I can’t handle. My only regret is not being able to see her again before getting pulled here.”

 

“You two are close?”

 

“Since we were kids.” Sky smiled wistfully. “A lot has changed since then, but she’s always been my best friend, and she always will be.”

 

“We’ll find a way to get you back to her then.” Time vowed.

 

A sharp gasp interrupted them, as Four finally returned to consciousness.

 

“Well then, look who’s finally up. Welcome back, Four.”

 

The young hero’s violet eyes remained unfocused, his body tensed, and his eventual response was oddly delayed.

 

“How long have I been out?”

 

“A few hours.” Sky replied, helping him sit up. “We got pulled through time, and apparently your mind didn’t handle that very well.”

 

“Well then,” the tense young hero replied after another short delay, “I guess my mind isn’t exactly built for time-travel.”

 

“Are you feeling alright?” Time questioned. “You seem a bit sluggish.”

 

“I’m fine, I’m fine, just...” Four paused, twitching slightly as he seemed to decide something within himself. Time furrowed his brow as he watched Four’s eyes shift from violet to green, and his body finally relax itself.

 

“I just needed a minute to wake up,” Four explained, completely back to normal. “I’m fine now, I promise.”

 

“If you say so.” Time consented, in a tone that made clear he believed there was more going on than met his eye. “Get some rest, regardless. We’re making camp here for the night.”

 

Four nodded his assent, and Time took a moment to survey the rest of the group as the sun began to disappear behind the trees to the west. Twilight was still nursing his headache as he sat propped against a tree. Sky had removed his cloak and laid it out as a sleeping mat. Legend was grumbling something under his breath, rifling through his bag as Hyrule watched him with tired eyes. Wild and Warriors had yet to return. And Wind... Time furrowed his brow, glancing over the campsite again.

 

Where was Wind?

 

“Have any of you seen our youngest member?” He questioned the group.

 

“Headed off that way.” Legend answered gruffly, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. “Said he’d take first watch for the night.”

 

Time frowned. He knew the young hero likely wanted some space alone to clear his head and reconcile just what was going on here. Time couldn’t blame him - it was confusing enough to him, and this was far from his first adventure involving time travel. But confusing as it was, he owed Wind whatever answers he could give. Especially if Wind’s era was the future he suspected it was.

 

“I’ll be back.” He told the group, setting off to find their youngest companion.

 

* * *

 

“Where do you think he’s going?” Hyrule asked as Time wandered off into the brush.

 

“To go find the kid,” Legend answered, not looking up from his bag. “There’s something up between the two of them - you heard what Wind was saying before we got whisked out of there. His era comes after Time’s, apparently.”

 

“Speaking of timelines, I’ve been wondering just _when_ we all come from with respect to one another.” Hyrule wondered absently. “Surely Sky came first, since he doesn’t even know who Ganon is.”

 

“Probably right.” Legend agreed. “Especially if he really did forge the Master Sword.”

 

Hyrule glanced over at the blade in question, lying peacefully on the grass within arm’s reach of Sky as he dozed. He remembered the voice that called had to him the night before, leading him to the cave where he met the others. The sword knew him, apparently. But he did not know the sword.

 

“That blade…” He wondered aloud. “Is it really as important as you all keep implying?”

 

The veteran hero cast his own glance over at the sword, before replying. “I probably wouldn’t have made it through my first adventure without its help. It’s a blade without match - though I did spend some time enchanting it even further. Can never be too careful, you know?”

 

“I never used it during either of my quests.” Hyrule mused.

 

Legend furrowed his brow. “Perhaps you came before Sky then, since you never used the sword? But then how would Sky not know Ganon, when you do?”

 

Hyrule shook his head. “No, I’m pretty sure I come after _you_ in the timeline.”

                                  

Legend’s eyes widened. “After me? What makes you think that?”

 

“In my time, we don’t have a lot of history. Most of it was lost hundreds of years ago, during the great sealing war. The only hero we know of through stories is the Hero of Legend, who defeated an evil wizard and stopped Ganon’s return from the Dark World.”

 

“Well...” Legend hummed, seemingly lost in thought. “That lines up well enough. Though I suppose that means I never put Ganon down for good, did I?”

 

“Don’t look at it that way.” Hyrule protested. “You put him down for several hundred years—enough to give the kingdom some well-needed rest. That’s enough to make you a hero in my book.”

 

Legend remained silent, ruminating on the younger hero’s words before offering a wry grin to his successor. “I’ll take what I can get, I guess.”

 

* * *

 

Wind leaned back against the trunk of the tree he was resting in, letting the last rays of the setting sun wash over him, and feeling his eyes slip shut. He let his mind wander back to the welcoming shores of Outset Island, recalling the tales his grandmother had repeated all throughout his childhood. Tales of the Hero of Time. His mind drew the comparison between the courageous, green-clad hero of his youth and the cold, battle-scarred man he’d only known for a matter of days. What had happened to him, exactly? Why did he vanish after sealing away Ganon? Exactly how many of Grandma’s stories were true, and how many were nothing more than myth?

 

He felt somewhat bad for the way he had accosted Time, right before they switched worlds. The man’s face had gone pale, and he had made no attempt to respond to Wind’s accusations. It wasn’t that he had meant to attack Time in any way, he had just wanted to know what happened. Why he had left Hyrule when it still needed him. After all, it wasn’t every day that a myth came to life - regardless of how different reality was from the stories.

 

“There you are.” The voice of said myth startled the young hero out of his musings.

 

Wind stared down at the older hero for a moment, absently realizing that the sun had set, and the forest was rapidly growing dark. He racked his brain for something to say in reply, but nothing materialized. Time seemed to notice and, climbing into the tree to sit next to Wind, he took it as a sign to speak his own mind.

 

“I never gave you an answer before, did I? You wanted to know why I wasn’t around after I defeated Ganon.”

 

“It’s not that I blame you for what happened!” Wind hastily tried to explain. “I just wanted to know... You’re all I ever heard about growing up. The Hero of Time is almost worshipped where I’m from. But nobody ever told me what happened to him after he sealed Ganon away. They only told me that when Ganon rose again, the hero was nowhere to be found.”

 

“Truthfully, I wouldn’t begrudge you if you did blame me.” Time sighed, letting his gaze trail off to the glowing horizon. “I spent years of my life struggling to put that world behind me. Not once did it occur to me to think of what happened to it after my departure.”

 

“But where did you go?” Wind questioned desperately. “ _Why_ did you go?”

 

“To put it simply, the world as it was after Ganon’s defeat was not a pleasant sight. For seven years the demon king had reign over the land, and it could be plainly seen. People had suffered and died, their homes were burned, the fields were torched, and the land itself suffered the curse of darkness.” Time paused for a moment, shaking his head as if to ward off the memory of those dark days. “After Ganon’s defeat, it was suggested by… someone I trusted… that I should return to the era before this blight on the land and warn the kingdom of Ganondorf’s coming treachery – to prevent his rise to power from ever happening.”

 

“You went back in time?!” Wind gaped.

 

Time huffed out a laugh. “I didn’t choose my name without reason.”

 

“You can actually do that though? Travel through time?”

 

“I did it often in my younger days – though not without its consequences. But getting back on topic, yes. I traveled back in time to before Ganon’s rise. Though I did not desire to return myself, I felt it was my duty, to save the lives that would be lost during those dark years. It is apparent now however; I only saved those lives in one version of history. In the original timeline, Ganon returned, and I was not there to face him. Hyrule paid the price, and eventually you had to come along and clean up the mess I left behind. For that, I am truly sorry.”

 

Time turned to face Wind, as the younger hero struggled to absorb everything he had been told. The skies were dim now, and the first stars were twinkling into view above as silence reigned over the two. After a long moment, Wind sighed. "Well, thanks for answering, even if I don't quite understand it all. I never really blamed you though - if anyone is at fault it's Ganon."

 

Time nodded slowly, then spoke up again.

 

“I’m still sorry for leaving, regardless. Truly, I could not have known what my absence would lead to. But I also thank you - for carrying on my legacy and standing up to Ganondorf in my stead.”

 

Wind, while he appreciated the sentiment, couldn’t help his snort of laughter at that last bit. “Don’t bother thanking me.” He replied, turning to Time with a wry grin on his face. “Yeah, everybody back home practically worshipped you, but that’s got nothing to do with why I ended up fighting Ganon. That fat bastard kidnapped my sister, so it was actually a personal quest.”

 

Time looked surprised for a moment, before returning the grin. “Judging from that smile on your face, I assume you got satisfactory revenge in the end?”

 

Wind’s smile was feral. “I planted the Master Sword hilt deep in his bloody skull.”

 

Time blinked.

 

“Well, that’ll do.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope the chapter was good enough to be at least somewhat worth the long wait. Again, I always love to see comments and reviews, and I welcome any suggestions you may have.
> 
> Next chapter still needs some work, but it should be up within the next week or two. See you all then!


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